Moon Festival

It is 34 degrees and the humidity is high. Still thousands of people have found their way to Victoria Park to celebrate the Moon Festival. The park is filled with colourful lit-up figures and light displays. Children and adults alike are carrying lanterns with burning candles or light bulbs inside them. The more modern glow sticks are also heavily present. Next to the park families have gathered on a large lawn, burning incense and eating the traditional moon cakes. They are all admiring the full moon which looks even more magical through the polluted haze hovering over the city.

The Moon Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar. It is mainly celebrated by eating moon cakes and fruit, carrying lit lanterns, fire dragon dancing and burning incense. It is celebrated every year on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The moon cake is particularly central in the festivities. It is a popular gift to family and friends and it is must-eat in the days around the festival. The cakes have whole egg yolks inside them representing the moon. The cake is said to have an acquired taste, so it is not a particular favourite among foreigners. However, you can also find the more modern ice-cream and chocolate versions of the moon cake.

There are several legends surrounding the festival. One of them tells how the earth once had ten suns circling around it, taking turns being on the sky. However, one day all the ten suns went out together, making it unbearably hot on earth. An archer saved the earth by shooting down nine of the ten suns. To celebrate he brought home some pills that would make them feel happy and light at heart. His wife saw the pills and found them so good that she ate them all. The pills made her so light that she flew all the way to the moon with her rabbit that she was holding. That's why the Chinese say you can see a woman holding a rabbit in the moon.

Click on the pictures to make them bigger. Some of the displays were absolutely stunning.